Cataclysmed
by Miss Bugaboo
Summary: "I promise you we'll get our powers back, Cat Noir. And I will heal you," she said, wholeheartedly believing it to be true. She kept her word - she uttered the spell. Only it clearly didn't work this time. Adrienette/Marichat/LadyNoir with eventual reveal.


_Author's note: 29th story published on this site, and yet it's the first one I've written for MLB._

_It sure has taken me a while._

_Still, I'm here, with this little experiment that I hope will interest you enough to follow it, excited to finally join the community I've heard so much about. I really, **really** hope you'll enjoy this little piece - and that we will meet again soon with a proper update for it._

_Yours, Bugaboo_

* * *

Adrien Agreste sneaked back into the classroom with a combination of cautiousness and haste that he did not think he could achieve in his civilian form, having taken it as a skill reserved solely for his masked alter ego. He closed the door as quietly as possible, careful not to catch the attention of his friends who still remained on the other side, and who, hopefully, had yet to find out about his current location – and sighed deeply, glad to see that at least this one scheme had gone well that day.

Of course, he realised how wrong of him it was – how unfair to trick them in this way, when all they wanted to do was to help him with whatever he'd been struggling with. He didn't need superhero powers to know that they deserved to be given more than the fake assurances of his good condition he'd been giving them all day or to see the worried glances they exchanged when they thought he wasn't looking.

Then again, how could he explain any of it to them?

He sighed again and set towards his seat, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through his body once more. It really was getting worse by the day, those little seizures taking place more and more frequently, growing in duration as well as in strength, until they could be called _little_ no more; and still, there was nothing he could do about it, though certainly not for the lack of trying. Oh, he had tried – and he had failed splendidly.

For six days now, he'd done nothing but search, looking for all kinds of medicine and treatments known to mankind, in the vain hope of finding one applicable to his undoubtedly unusual case. Looking for hints, for suggestions, anything that could help him get rid of that cursed, dull ache that had only seemed to increase with the passing of time, that was now also accompanied by the already mentioned strokes of a more violent pain. He'd read every ad, every article, from the leaflets given away in front of the pharmacies to online advice on treating said pain with poems and songs, trying to somehow pick clues in the ocean of nonsense he had poured on himself.

All of this while pretending that he really was doing just fine.

_Stupid Cataclysm,_ he muttered under his breath as he flopped on the bench at last, his forehead hitting the desk immediately afterwards. _Stupid Hawk Moth and his power-stealing villains, stupid me for not dodging them in time, stupid magic spells that never work when you really need them to. And stupid, stupid -_

He stopped when he felt a gentle pressure against his shoulder, and straightened up instantly, suddenly alert. He was relieved to realise that what he had imagined to be the weight of his classmate's hand was in fact the full weight of his kwami who, in all honesty, wasn't doing much better than he was; the very fact that Plagg had not yet cheeked him for his unexpected movement spoke volumes, successfully adding to his already overgrown sense of guilt.

After all, it was all his fault to begin with.

"Come on, you really shouldn't be showing yourself like this," he urged in a tired whisper, rubbing his hand against his eyes. "We've got enough to worry about as it is, without someone seeing you float around. Really Plagg, you can't -"

Right on cue the door creaked, announcing the arrival of his fellow students, who now entered the room with fervour typical for their age, leaving him next to no time to grab the half-conscious kwami in his hands and thrust him hurriedly inside his bag.

_Stupid black cat's luck._

Frantically hoping that no one had spotted the creature after all, Adrien felt rather than saw Nino take his place by his side. He still refused to look him in the eye for fear of giving away more than he was allowed to - more than _he_ thought he could reveal. He heard his companion clear his throat meaningfully, but again, he chose to disregard it, focusing on readying himself for class instead.

After all, all he needed now was to survive it.

_Just one more lesson and it's over for good,_ he reasoned with a newfound determination as he pulled out his notes and prepared his tablet hastily. _One lesson and I can go home. Just a little effort and then it's all about hot showers and bed and __**rest**__._

"So, are you gonna tell me what's wrong with you today, or should I just stand back and let Alya deal with you?" Nino interrupted his musings, giving him a worried glance that did not match his teasing tone. "Seriously, dude, you're acting really weird today. Are you coming down with something?"

"I'm fine," Adrien answered impatiently. For the first time in his life he wished he did not share a desk with anyone. "Really, it's nothing."

As if to contradict his words, a wave of nausea came over him, however, he paid it no mind, convincing himself that the best way to go through this nightmare was to think of it as little as humanly possible.

If only Nino could take the hint and shut his mouth as well.

"Yeah, well, I don't really think you look fine," his impossible friend insisted. "Alya sure doesn't either, or Marinette for that matter. Why can't you just admit that you're sick, man? It's no crime to be, you know."

"Look, we've just had a week full of tests, and a huge akuma attack kept half of Paris awake on the night right before one of them. Why can't you accept that I'm simply tired after going through all this?"

Nino shook his head almost piteously. "I've taken the same tests as you, my man, and I was no more asleep than you were when that akuma showed up; but you don't see me grimacing at everything and everyone around me while I barely hold my balance."

"Well, unlike you, I actually did study for those tests."

He wasn't surprised when he heard Nino snicker at his comment, even though he wished his friend had not done it as loudly as he did, startling Miss Mendeleyev and consequently driving her attention right to the pair of them. Truly, they were lucky to receive nothing but a scolding glare from her.

The rest of the lesson went smoothly, and soon Adrien found himself packing, leaving the classroom in the midst of the crowd of his friends. His head was beginning to pound, what with him staying in the very centre of the noisy group of teens, all of them eager to leave the building without any unnecessary delay, and yet he didn't try to escape, hoping it would counter the allegations of him acting any different from what was considered the norm. He didn't exactly want to lie to the trio that clearly felt concerned for him; however, being an object of their pity was no more appealing to him, especially since he knew they really couldn't help.

If Ladybug's magic hadn't been enough to heal him, what on earth was?

He was suddenly brought to attention by a conspiratorial whisper next to his ear, this time coming from none other than Alya."You can act all you wish, Agreste, but you won't fool _me_."

He winced, surprised, and chanced a glance at her; and then he had to use all of his strength to not roll his eyes at the determined expression she was wearing, obviously intent on making him spill the beans and admit to her what he had refused to own up to her boyfriend before hand.

_So he really wasn't joking about letting her out at me._

"Alya, you know I'd never in my life question your astounding journalistic skills, but you really are following a wrong lead here," he answered eventually with what he hoped was a friendly, if not teasing smile. "I've already said that to Nino and I can tell you the same thing as well: I'm as well as I could be. I'm tired, true; short of proper sleep, and that's true as well. But even though I appreciate the sentiment, I really don't want you to worry when you have no reason to. So even if I look a little unwell today -"

"You look like Cat Noir after he got cataclysmed in the ribs last Friday," he was once again interrupted by Nino, who seemed to have magically appeared next to them as soon as they'd reached the top of the staircase. Again, Adrien needed to make the best of his acting skills to stop himself from snorting at the comparison. "He was almost as clumsy as you are today, only unlike you, he has Ladybug to heal him after a fight each time. Or were you hoping she'd come to help you if you were doing badly enough?"

"And how would you know about Cat Noir's battle wounds?" Adrien shot back, deliberately ignoring the mention of his lady coming to save him, as well as the stinging realisation that she was no more able to help than anyone else.

Nino gave him a strange look but merely shrugged in response.

"Well, I am dating the best informed Ladybug fan in Paris, so I'd say my sources are rather obvious, aren't they?"

Adrien decided not to grace him with an answer this time.

"Anyway, where's Marinette?" Nino picked up after a moment and turned towards his girlfriend again. "I saw you two leaving together, so where the heck did she disappear?"

It was Alya's turn to roll her eyes. "You know Marinette, she's always forgetting something. A pen, a sketchbook, a phone... I think the only thing I haven't seen her lose yet are her earrings, but then again, you don't really need to remember to bring those along."

"So that's where she is now? Back in the classroom, looking for her drawing set?" Nino asked.

"I think it was a drawing itself this time," Alya responded cheerfully, with a sly look that, however, was totally lost on Adrien. "A very good one, by the way, she really is improving when it comes to seizing the resemblance of her... _model references_. Still, she should be back soon and then we can head straight to the cinema as planned. I mean, if Adrien is feeling so well, we don't have to worry about cancelling it, do we?"

Now _that _was something to catch Adrien's attention at last. He turned towards his companions wide-eyed and stammered, "The cinema?"

The couple in front of him shared a glance, a barely noticeable shadow of shock appearing on both of their faces. Immediately, Adrien felt like he deserved to be kicked in the face for his forgetfulness; he restricted himself to a slap against his forehead instead.

"Gosh, it's today, isn't it?"

"Dude, you're serious?" Nino's expression was that of true astonishment now as he looked into his flabbergasted friend's eyes. "We've been planning it for a week - the movie and a picnic afterwards. We've talked about it so much, and we even had Ivan and Mylene come to confirm some details _today_ \- not to mention that we've chosen the date specifically because of your dad's absence. How do you even forget something like that?"

"Adrien, you're really starting to worry me now," Alya cut in, her voice suddenly ringing with genuine concern. "You never forget your arrangements. Maybe you really shouldn't push yourself and just rest for a bit. It's okay not to be okay, you know? People will understand."

"Yeah, even if that means Marinette sulking for the entire afternoon again," Nino supplied readily while jamming his fists into his pockets.

That had earned him a prod in the side from his girlfriend, however, it was only another detail that remained utterly irrelevant in Adrien Agreste's eyes. He frowned, and for once, the grimace had nothing to do with his own health.

"Why would she do that?" he asked, confused.

Nino opened his mouth to answer, but again, Alya's reflex proved to be quicker. She pressed her hand against his mouth as if she'd known exactly what he was about to say (_Then again, she probably __**did**_, Adrien thought) and believed it her duty to stop him from saying it in time. Her eyes met Adrien's and much to his surprise , she sighed wearily.

"Marinette will be fine," she said. "She will miss you because, darn it Adrien, even if she still stutters when talking to you at times, you've really become one of her best friends, you know. But I'm sure she wouldn't like you to push yourself just to please her, and if you come and look unwell, you'll only make her worry more. She will be fine; we all will be. You should make sure you are as well."

"I will be there," came Adrien's unexpected yet resolute answer, his whole posture suddenly straightening up again. "I told you I was okay, and I'm not going to pass up the chance of meeting with you guys just because I'm slightly more tired than usual. Not after we've put so much effort into arranging this - not to mention, the next time my father will be absent long enough for us to try anything of the sort again will probably be around my 20th birthday, if at all. The worst that may happen is that I'll fall asleep during the screening, but hey, it's not like you need my attention at that time, right?"

Alya's look was sceptical. "Yeah, as long as you're asleep and not _unconscious_."

Adrien mustered a little smile and waved his hand at her.

"I don't faint, if that's what you mean," he said, amused. "I haven't so far and I have no intention of changing that - so as I said, there's no reason why I shouldn't come. In fact, you two should go ahead and make sure we all have good seats. I can wait for Marinette here and then we'll join you at the cinema in no time. How about that?"

"Yeah, well, I think -" Alya began.

"I think it's a great plan, dude," Nino agreed zealously, grabbing his girlfriend's wrist and starting to drag her down the staircase. "I'm sure Marinette will be here soon - if not, then you can always go to the classroom and see what's taking her so long yourself. Good luck, dude!"

And with that they were gone, leaving him with a rush Adrien couldn't understand if he had tried to. Feeling like he no longer needed to keep up appearances, he leaned against the bannister, deflated and prayed inwardly that Alya's half-playful prediction about him passing out would not come true after all.

Tumbling down the stairs certainly wouldn't make him feel better.

"Why in magic's name would you agree to go anywhere in this state?" he heard a hoarse voice whisper right into his ear. He realised with dismay that Plagg had left his hideout once more, and that this time the kwami was perfectly ready to speak his mind on the matter at hand.

Adrien's head turned towards him as he shot him an impatient glare.

"You should not be out in the open like that," he repeated his statement from nearly an hour ago, although this time his tone carried much more irritation with it. "I told you we can't afford someone discovering you, especially when I'm too exhausted to think of any reasonable excuses for you."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to stay put when you go on endangering both our healths because you feel like watching a movie with your friends?" Plagg responded without missing a beat, his own voice heavy with derisiveness. "Now I may not be the most responsible of kwamis, but I won't sit still when you're behaving like an utterly reckless fool. Did you forget that I'm bound to you? Or that you were actually Cat Noir when that super-villain hit you, meaning that even if I wasn't, it still would have affected me as well? Do you have _any idea_ what a sick kwami is like?"

"Will it make you more or less touchy than you usually are?" Adrien retorted on his part. "Oh, wait, I don't think it can get any worse, so I suppose we're good in that regard. Now, you really should hide yourself again, before Marinette actually leaves that classroom -"

"Are you really not getting it? You're putting both of us at risk just because you want to party with your friends!"

"I can't have them know something really is wrong!" Adrien shot back in an angry whisper, his grip on the bannister tightening involuntarily. "We both know it's more than a cold I am - _we_ are - dealing with now, and that no amount of rest or hot water or camembert will cure it, so we can't just pretend it's a cold I'm fighting off. How am I supposed to explain anything to them if that excuse won't work? _'Hey, guys, that Cat Noir that got hit with cataclysm last week? That was me. Yeah, no, I'm okay, don't worry about it.'_"

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, kid."

"Well, I think I've been around you long enough to pick up some of your awful habits. And… I just really don't see a way for us to act other than to play along as if nothing was wrong in the first place. We _can't_ cure it. The best we _can_ do is to get used to the thought, and start practising our new everything-is-fine act, because heck, we're gonna need it. I'd say it's better to begin while I'm still in a relatively good form."

Plagg wasn't given a chance to answer him this time, as they both heard the noise of the classroom door opening, revealing a strangely put off Marinette, who was now leaving the room with her head bent low. Luckily for them, she was too determined to stare at the ground under her feet to take notice of the strange conversation she would have undoubtedly seen otherwise; and yet as grateful as Adrien was for the extra moments they thus gained, he was not at all happy to see her in such a state.

He inhaled deeply, instantly deciding to put away his personal worries and focus on the girl who was unconsciously approaching him. She was looking rather gloomy, indeed, but it didn't seem like it was anything a friendly talk and an evening with her friends couldn't fix - and he surely was up to fulfilling the first requirement before the second could happen. With a smile warmer than any of those he had summoned so far this day, he opened his mouth to greet her.

Only it wasn't the words that came out.

It was a cough.


End file.
